Dinner with the Abbot

Summary

The party came back together at the Abbot's table: Ezmerelda, Alfbern, Klildar and Linus descended from the abbey's upper rooms to find Jon already seated in the great hall beside Ireena, across from the Abbot and Vasilka. Over a stew their host served but would not eat, Ezmerelda raised the question of the bridal gown — the Abbot asked them to fetch one from Vallaki and offered fifty gold for the errand, and they promised an answer in the morning. Before dinner was done, Alfbern sent Jon a whispered Message: the courteous woman at the table is a flesh golem the Abbot built to appease Strahd, and the party means to separate her from her maker and kill them both. Dismissed to the barracks for the night, Alfbern took the shape of a cat to see the abbey the tour had hidden from them — and stepped into a room where six shadows rose out of the dark. The session ended at the close of the first round, two of them already destroyed.

The Great Hall

The party was still divided when the session began. Ezmerelda, Alfbern, Klildar and Linus headed down to the great hall, where Jon sat at the table beside Ireena, across from the Abbot and Vasilka.

The Abbot served the stew among them but took none for himself. When questioned, he said only that he wasn't hungry. Linus and Alfbern both caught it — and everything else about him. Whatever presided at the head of that table was not human; the face he wore was a façade, and a thin one.

The Bridal Gown

Ezmerelda was the one to raise the subject of the wedding dress. The Abbot did not hesitate: he asked whether the party would fetch such a dress for him from Vallaki, and offered 50 gp for the errand. The group said they would consider it through the evening and give him an answer in the morning. He agreed.

Alfbern's Message

While the table talked, Alfbern sent a Message to Jon, catching him up on what the others had learned upstairs: that Vasilka is a flesh golem, created by the Abbot in an irrational attempt to appease Strahd and to "save" his own soul. He also told him their plan — to separate the Abbot from Vasilka, so the two could be killed apart rather than faced together.

The Barracks

The Abbot offered them lodgings with Ezmerelda in the barracks, and stayed behind in the great hall with Vasilka as the group went upstairs.

Once there, the party realized how little of the abbey they had actually seen — apart from the Abbot's own tour, the premises were unknown to them. Alfbern decided to do something about that, and wildshaped into a cat to explore on his own.

Six Shadows

The first room he entered was large, furnished with several metal-framed beds, and empty. It stayed that way only until he stepped further in: six shadows materialized out of the dark and closed on him. He sent a Message to the others, and the whole group joined the fight.

The session ended at the end of the first round, with two shadows already defeated.

Party Members

• Alfbern - Level 6 Elf Druid (Ziro)
• Klildar - Level 6 White Dragonborn Paladin (Fábio)
• Jon - Level 6 Human Ranger (Ricardo)
• Linus - Level 6 Human Wizard (Daniel)

Important Items/Events

• Reunited at Dinner: Ezmerelda, Alfbern, Klildar and Linus came down to the great hall, where Jon waited with Ireena, Vasilka and the Abbot.
• Alfbern's Message: Jon learned by magic that Vasilka is a flesh golem, built to appease Strahd and "save" the Abbot's soul — and that the party intends to separate and kill them.
• The Abbot's Appetite: The Abbot served the stew but ate none of it, claiming he wasn't hungry; Linus and Alfbern read the inhuman thing behind the human façade.
• The Bridal Gown Commission: The Abbot asked the party to fetch a wedding dress from Vallaki, offering 50 gp; the party promised an answer in the morning.
• Lodgings in the Barracks: The party was given the barracks for the night, Ezmerelda with them; the Abbot stayed in the great hall with Vasilka.
• Alfbern in Wild Shape: Alfbern took cat form to explore the parts of the abbey the tour had skipped.
• Six Shadows: Six shadows ambushed him in the bunk room; the party joined the fight. The session ended after round one with two shadows destroyed.
• Decision — Separate Them: The party still means to split the Abbot and Vasilka before striking, judging both at once too dangerous.

Original Notes

• The session started with the party still divided. The group with Ezmerelda, Alfber, Klildar and Linus, was heading downstairs to the great hall, while Jon was seated at the table across the Abbot and Vasilka, next to Ireena
• Alfbern sent a message to Jon to let him know what they learned, that Vasilka is a flesh golem created by the Abbot in an irrational attempt to appease Strahd and "save" his soul. He also told their plan to separate the two of them, Abbot and Vasilka, so that they could kill them
• Once they arrived at the great hall, the Abbot served them the stew but didn't have any for himself. When questioned he simply said that he wasn't hungry. Linus and Alfbern picked up on it, noticing that something was clearly off: behind his human façade the Abbot certainly isn't human
• Ezmerelda brought up the subject of the wedding dress, and the Abbot asked if the party would be willing to fetch such dress in Vallaki, he offered 50 gp as payment. The group said that they would consider his offer during the evening and give him an answer in the morning. To which he agreed.
• He said they could lodge with Ezmerelda in the barracks, and stayed in the great hall with Vasilka as the group went upstairs
• Reaching the barracks the group realised they haven't explored the premises apart from the initial tour with the Abbot. Alfber decided to explore it wildshaped as a cat.
• The first room, a large one with several metal-framed beds, was empty but once he stepped a little further into it, six shadows materialised and went to him. He sent a message to the group and everyone joined in the fight
• The session ended at the end of the first round, with two shadows defeated already